Author: Gulf News Week

Conservative influencers are playing a central role in a new campaign of weaponising Islamophobia.Qatar is not a big country, but lately it occupies an astonishing amount of space in the imagination of a growing ecosystem of far-right influencers, pseudo-journalists, pro-Israel think tanks and dubious analysts. According to them, Qatar is orchestrating various global conspiracies.Two figures illustrate this pattern quite well. Laura Loomer, a US-based influencer who acts as an unofficial loyalty enforcer for US President Donald Trump, has reinvented herself as an expert on “Qatar infiltration” and the Muslim Brotherhood. In recent months, Loomer has tweeted about Qatar approximately twice per…

Qatar’s PM, Turkish FM speaking at Doha Forum urge urgent progress to next phase as Gaza truce violations mount.Doha, Qatar – Qatar’s prime minister has warned that the Gaza ceasefire is at a “critical moment” and could unravel without rapid movement towards a permanent peace deal, as Turkiye’s foreign minister also cautioned that the process could lose momentum.Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the Doha Forum on Saturday that what exists on the ground amounts to merely a “pause” in hostilities rather than a genuine ceasefire.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump gets FIFA’s new…

Arrests made after President Aoun met UNSC delegation, which will visit south to get ‘real picture’ of what is going on.The Lebanese army arrested six people after gunmen attacked international peacekeepers patrolling in the south of the country, as a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation was to embark on a visit to the zone.The army said in a statement on Saturday that its intelligence directorate had detained six Lebanese suspects in connection with Thursday’s attack, which saw six men riding on three mopeds opening fire on a UN peacekeepers’ patrol vehicle without hurting anyone.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist…

The RSF accused Sudan’s army of the attack on a vital corridor for aid and Sudanese fleeing the war.Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has accused the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of waging an attack on a border town near Chad as war in the country rages on deep into its third year.The RSF alleged the SAF used drones in the attack at the Adre border crossing, according to a statement by the group on Telegram on Friday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Sudan War Explained | Start Herelist 2 of 4UN warns Sudan’s Kordofan faces mass…

At Doha conference, Prime Minister emphasizes truce cannot be finalized until Israeli forces fully withdraw, stability returns to Gaza. DOHA — Qatar’s Prime Minister told an international conference on Saturday that the weeks-long pause in fighting in Gaza does not yet constitute a full ceasefire, stressing that a lasting truce requires the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. Speaking at the Doha Forum, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani—whose nation has been a key mediator in the conflict—underscored that stability in Gaza depends on meeting this condition, which is part of a peace initiative supported by the United…

League officials report heightened player engagement and surging Middle East interest as the in-season competition enters its decisive Las Vegas phase. The knockout stage of the Emirates NBA Cup is set to begin, with eight teams advancing in a tournament that has swiftly become a highlight of the league’s early calendar. Qualifying for the quarterfinals are the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, and Phoenix Suns. The quarterfinals tip off on December 9, followed by the semifinals and championship game in Las Vegas on December 13 and 16.…

Tashkent’s newly unveiled Center for Islamic Civilization seeks to promote a modern narrative of Islamic heritage as a catalyst for knowledge, peace and cross-cultural exchange. TASHKENT — Uzbekistan has inaugurated a major international institution devoted to the study and celebration of Islamic civilization, positioning itself as a bridge between historical legacy and contemporary dialogue. The Center for Islamic Civilization, situated in Tashkent’s historic Hast-Imam district, emerges from a vision articulated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev before the United Nations, in which he framed Islam as a civilization “of knowledge, culture, and creation” dedicated to peace and humanistic values. The initiative has…

SAMA data reveals strong growth across retail and services, with food, recreation and apparel leading gains as digital payments expand nationwide. Riyadh, December [Date] — Point-of-sale spending in Saudi Arabia jumped by more than a fifth in the week ending November 29, reaching SR15.1 billion (approximately $4 billion), the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) reported. The double-digit increase in transaction value—up 20.4% week-on-week—was accompanied by a 9.1% rise in transaction volume, exceeding 240 million purchases. The data signals robust consumer activity and continued migration toward digital payment channels across the Kingdom. Spending growth was broad-based, with notable surges in several lifestyle…

Railways, ports and power facilities struck in multi-region attack; service disruptions and utility outages reported. Ukrainian infrastructure came under heavy fire overnight as Russian drones and missiles struck transport and energy targets across the country, officials reported Saturday. A significant railway hub in Fastiv, southwest of Kyiv, sustained direct hits which damaged the depot and multiple railcars, according to the state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. No casualties were reported at the site, but the damage forced the cancellation of suburban train services near the capital and in the Chernihiv region. The attack formed part of a broader offensive against utility and…

Foreign ministers slam Israel’s breach of the ceasefire, and its one-way exit plan which aims to ‘displace Palestinian people from their land’.Gaza mediators Egypt and Qatar, and six other Muslim-majority countries have raised the alarm over Israel’s stated plan for a one-way opening of the Rafah border crossing, which would allow Palestinians to leave their territory, but not to return, and block the entry of humanitarian aid.Their warning comes as Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated, with some 600 violations of the ceasefire in the last seven weeks, and reports that two people were killed in the latest round…